Funeral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: (Video & Photo Gallery)

May 31, 2017

Funeral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Photo: ΤΝΗ

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Hundreds of mourners gathered in central Athens Wednesday to pay their respects to Constantine Mitsotakis, the former conservative prime minister who died this week aged 98.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and Greece’s 76-year-old former king, Constantine, were among mourners filing past his coffin at Athens Cathedral on the eve of his funeral on the island of Crete.

Mitsotakis served as prime minister between 1990 and 1993. Although he was considered by some of his political opponents to have been a divisive figure, the government declared four days of official mourning.

Supporters credit him with advocating fiscal restraint years before Greece was hit by severe financial crisis, but critics said he contributed to a highly charged political atmosphere in the late 1980s.

The party also said that it was the late prime minister’s wish, instead of funeral wreaths, to make any donations to the following environmental NGOs for the reforestation of the Lefka Ori (White Mountains) in Crete:
-Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage
ALPHA BANK
IBAN – GR6901401770177002002000045
SWIFT – CRBAGRAAXXX
– Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature
ALPHA BANK
GR 6301401200120002002011

ND said it has opened a book of condolences at the party’s headquarters in Moschato.

All scheduled ND events are cancelled until June 4.

Funeral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Photo: ΤΝΗFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Photo: ΤΝΗFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Photo: ΤΝΗFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Photo: ΤΝΗFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, May 31, 2017: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris DimitropoulosFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris DimitropoulosFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris DimitropoulosFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris DimitropoulosFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris DimitropoulosFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris DimitropoulosFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris DimitropoulosFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris DimitropoulosFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris DimitropoulosFuneral Service for Constantine Mitsotakis at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: Photo: Eurokinissi/Sotiris Dimitropoulos